Prior art systems for testing transmissions and the like for reliability, life expectancy, efficiency, and the like have typically been designed to test a single form of transmission. The transmissions have typically been manually loaded into a test machine driven by electric motors, with connectors manually inserted between the units and the motors. The outputs of the transmissions have been loaded by manually connecting the transmission outputs to a loading device such as a clutch, dynamometer or brake system. After the testing has been completed, the unit under test must be manually disconnected from the drive and load device.
This process is very time consuming and labor intensive and the production rates are very low. If a different form of transmission needs to be tested, a separate test machine design needs to be generated, built and provided for that transmission. In situations where multiple transmission types are to be tested in a single facility, the plant space and capital investment required for the separate test modules is extensive.
The primary test machine gearboxes used in these prior art test systems are required to operate at the high speeds of the transmission inputs. In the case of helicopter transmissions, the power ranges up to about 4500 horsepower and speeds ranging up to 25,000 rpm. These gearboxes are accordingly expensive and difficult to maintain.